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A Cornered Rat
A Cornered Rat is a quest in which the Dragonborn searches the city of Riften for an old friend of Delphine and the only other known member of the Blades in Skyrim named Esbern. Background The Thalmor are just as puzzled as we are about why dragons are returning. I learned that they are looking for a Blade named Esbern, who Delphine says is an expert on ancient dragon lore. We need to find him before the Thalmor do. Objectives #Talk to Brynjolf #Search the Ratway for Esbern's hideout #Find Esbern in the Ratway Warrens #Talk to Esbern Walkthrough Locating Esbern Esbern is located in The Ratway Warrens behind a barred door with a viewing slot. Access the Ratway Warrens by traveling through several areas, including the Ratway, The Ragged Flagon, and The Ratway Vaults. The Ratway's main entrance is located on the south end and lower level of Riften. Brynjolf, if not spoken to already, will be located in town during the day and at The Bee and Barb at night. Talking to Brynjolf at the Bee and Barb will trigger conversation leading to the Thieves Guild quest line. If the Dragonborn has already become a member of the Thieves Guild, they can talk to Brynjolf or Vekel the Man inside The Ragged Flagon - Cistern to advance to the next part of the quest. Alternatively, talking to Keerava, the barmaid of the Bee and Barb, can give the Dragonborn the information without putting the question to Brynjolf, although this will bypass the introduction to the Thieves Guild. Once inside the Ragged Flagon, talk to Vekel about Esbern. He will not give information about Esbern unless the Dragonborn has a high Persuasion, 140 , or beats him in a brawl. Then, he will give Esbern's location and warn of Thalmor looking for him as well. After meeting with Brynjolf and mentioning Esbern, he will give information that Esbern is in the Ratways, and the quest marker will update accordingly. There have been problems reported with quest advancement if the quest "A Chance Arrangement" has also been picked up. "A Cornered Rat" can progress after completing "A Chance Arrangement" or after being caught. Brynjolf then will ask the Dragonborn if they want to join the Thieves Guild (if this hasn't been done already), and a new quest will start. The slot on Esbern's door will be closed, and conversation with Esbern is not possible if the quest has not advanced properly. Brynjolf Dialogue Vekel the Man Dialogue Dirge Dialogue Ratway Some events in the Ratway may unfold differently depending on certain events during "Diplomatic Immunity." If this is the first time inside the Ratway, there will be a few enemies to fight through to get to the headquarters of the Thieves Guild. If already a member of the Thieves Guild, the Dragonborn may enter through the secret entrance in the Riften graveyard. If the Dragonborn did not kill a man named Gissur during "Diplomatic Immunity," it is possible to be attacked by him outside the entrance to the Ragged Flagon. Inside, after the attack, Gissur may be identified by Guild members and killed. The Dragonborn can take Gissur's Note from his body. The note may also be found in the Ratway without the body. If Gissur was killed at the Thalmor Embassy, he will not appear during this quest. Alternatively, the Dragonborn may encounter a female Khajiit assassin named Shavari. Shavari's Note can be looted from her corpse. From the Ragged Flagon, head through the Ratway Tunnels to get to the Ratway Warrens. It may be necessary to fight several Thalmor while navigating through the tunnels before locating the entrance. Once in the Warrens, locate a locked door with a viewing slot at the top of a set of steps and activate the door to engage Esbern in conversation. The Dragonborn will then be able to tell Esbern about Delphine and warn him of the Thalmor searching for him. After being convinced, there is an unusually long delay as he gathers his thoughts and unlocks what seems like an absurd number of door locks and bars. Once inside, the conversation will continue as he gathers his belongings. He will be able to provide some additional background information about the Blades, and the Dragonborn will bring him up to date on current events. Once the conversation with Esbern has ended, this quest will be completed and "Alduin's Wall" will begin. Journal Trivia *Any current followers the player has will not return to their original location when Esbern starts following the player, making him a second follower. *Gissur may be seated at a table in the Ragged Flagon when the player learns Esbern's whereabouts from Vekel the Man. After the player ends the conversation with Vekel, Gissur will get up from the table and leave the Ragged Flagon. Vekel will suddenly say "That one, right there, walking out the door! He was one of them asking about that old man you were looking for." Gissur will not enter into conversation if the player attempts to talk with him. If Gissur is attacked, no crime will have been committed and Thieves Guild members will assist in attacking him. *If A Chance Arrangement has been started, Brynjolf cannot be talked to. The quest can still be continued by going directly to Esbern's location. *It is possible to proceed directly to Esbern without talking to Delphine first if the player tells him that they are the Dragonborn. *Once Esbern has been located, a group of Thalmor appear at the entrance of the Ragged Flagon. Leaving the Ragged Flagon from the front door will trigger the Thalmor to talk about the player's actions. If the player immediately returns to the Ragged Flagon, the Thalmor group will enter, ask about the player's location, and leave. *If the player is Guild Master of the Thieves Guild, no check has to be passed to get information from either Dirge or Vekel. Bugs de:Eine Ratte in der Klemme es:Una rata arrinconada fr:Coincé dans la Souricière it:Un Topo in Trappola ru:Крыса, загнанная в угол